Someone Like You
by deepfriedtofu
Summary: How a relationship between Cozart and Giotto could have been like.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic in three years… I hope it is ok

Giotto left the house of his friend behind. He sighed, while walking through the spacious garden. The grass looked perfectly trimmed. There was a little beet of roses, seemingly out of place in the lush grass. It was hidden behind a big tree, overshadowed by branches.

A long time ago, they were simply two young men; nothing more, nothing less. There were no responsibilities. When they spent time together at every possible opportunity, they could laugh freely under the clear blue sky of Italy, and follow through with every mischief they came up with.

A long time ago, everything was perfect for Giotto, and he wished it could have always stayed that way.  
>But he shook his head, and reminded himself that it was for the best.<br>It was for the best, if he would leave Cozart's life, his best friend's live, forever.

From the first moment Giotto met Cozart, he knew that they were going to be good friends. He felt an immediate connection to the red-haired man when they laughed together for the first time.

He wrote many letters to his friend, so that Cozart would know what went on with the Vongola family he inspired. Over the years Cozart had become his most important person next to G, but then it was still a bit different with Cozart.

Giotto was confident that his friend would one day know that they were made for each other.

However, as the months after their first meeting went by, Cozart was still the same as usual, and Giotto began to think that perhaps a negative reaction like avoiding him at first would have been better than no reaction at all. Of course that would only be the first reaction; afterwards they would live happily ever after. He smirked. Yeah right.

One year later, Cozart still didn't react to his advances. He grew increasingly frustrated because his friend seemed absolutely oblivious; and that when Giotto even went out of his way to see Cozart as often as possible. They spent their days walking about, just passing time, and chatting about their families, books (even though Cozart enjoyed reading far more than Giotto did), and other things.

One day, he heard the rumor that Cozart was dating a girl who was said to be the daughter of a rich merchant in his village.

Giotto tried to be happy for his friend. He really did. It didn't work.

He rolled around in his bed that night, and got little sleep. He tried to distract himself in any way possible; he even went as far as to go over every meeting he had attended that day, analyzing every paper he wrote. He just couldn't let it go that Cozart might not have contacted him lately because he had a girl. Giotto felt a surge of jealousy.

The days after he came to know of Cozart's apparent liaison, he slaved for his work. His guardians went as far as telling him to stop; they didn't know what came over him G threw his Boss concerned looks when he thought Giotto wasn't looking, but he knew that Giotto would only tell him what was up with him when he was ready.

For a whole week there was not a night Giotto managed to sleep to daybreak. It was as if he suffered from sudden insomnia, and he grew increasingly agitated day by day. Giotto usually didn't mind that Cozart didn't contact him that often, he was used to Cozart's arbitrary way of life, often postponing the answering of his mails for days, when he found an interesting book to occupy himself with, or if his father demanded help with his business.

Finally Giotto decided to write a letter to Cozart. He had enough of his worrying and an itch to know if the rumor was right. Secretly he hoped that it wasn't. His hand didn't write properly, as he was extremely tired and the letters blurred before his eyes. His desk was illuminated by the soft light radiating off his candle, and his eyes were reddened because he had read so many documents that week.

After another week of restless sleep he decided that the next morning he would go visit Cozart. His visit would be disguised as a negotiation of wares, so he wouldn't come across as a nuisance. After all, it could be that Cozart didn't answer because he was busy spending time with his lover. And who was Giotto to foil the plans of his friend if he wanted to spend time with his lover that wasn't Giotto…

That night someone knocked on his door. He opened a bleary eye, and rubbed it to get the sleep sand out. He looked at the clock sitting on his nightstand, and if his eyes didn't deceive him, it had to be two in the morning. He made his way to the door, too tired to school his features that betrayed his irritation.

Only the pale moonlight shining through his curtains lit the way, and he cursed, as he found himself stumbling over a book that he forgot to pack away. It was a book that Cozart recommended to him, something about star-crossed lovers… Giotto wasn't sure. He hadn't read the book, and only listened half-heartedly to Cozart's exclamations, saying that it was very famous in England or so…

Finally he made it to the door, and opened it.

He was graced with the sight of none other than Cozart Simon who was softly smiling at him.

"Surprise," he simply said.

Giotto blinked. It was a surprise indeed.

"Cozart, what are you doing here?" He asked, and suddenly he found himself conscious of the state he was in. He had messy hair, and the worst: he was only dressed in underwear. In his sleepy haze he had fully pushed his state of undress aside.

"Sorry, I will get something to wear first." He rushed off, and went back to the door moments later, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers.

"Okay… what are you doing here?" He asked a bit breathless because he had gotten himself dressed as fast as possible.

"I thought I'd pay you a visit. You asked me if I was really dating a girl, and I thought I'd make it clear to my best friend that it's not true, and he doesn't have to be jealous because I won't have time for him anymore." He winked with an amused smile on his face because he knew that Giotto was a person who liked getting attention.

"Really funny," Giotto rolled his eyes. "Come in."

He made tea, and they sat down at his kitchen table. The candlelight gave the room a comfortable atmosphere. The two of them were smiling at each other, chatting about their families. Despite the strange setting in which they talked, it was in the middle of the night, they were comfortable around each other.  
>Then Cozart asked that question.<p>

"Giotto, do you have a woman you like?"

Giotto froze. He didn't know how to answer that question, and they had never talked about women before.

"Yes, there is someone I like. It's unrequited." Giotto choked out.

Cozart looked at him solemnly. "How can someone not like you?"

Despite himself, Giotto chuckled. That statement lifted the awkwardness off his shoulders. Cozart was really oblivious, but endearing.

"Cozart… it's you." He regretted saying it the moment the words tumbled out of his mouth, but he could no longer hold back. While anticipating Cozart's answer with nervousness, he closed his eyes.

Cozart looked at him, smiling. "Giotto, I like you too."

And Giotto opened his eyes and smiled back. Who would have known it would be that easy.

After they confessed to each other, Cozart came over to Giotto more often. Since his family was wealthy there were no problems concerning money due to the travelling. Besides, Cozart could always claim that he wanted to visit his grandmother.

They couldn't make their relationship public because such "abnormalities" were frowned upon, but Giotto was satisfied with the two of them being happy with each other.

Whenever he could find the time in between his busy schedule, he and Cozart spent the night together, in Giotto's bed. They slept close together, their legs tangled, and hands intertwined. Giotto had never felt so close to another person before, and it made him happy; so happy that he thought his heart would burst sometimes when he saw Cozart smile at him.

"Cozart… This is all so new to me," Giotto said breathlessly.

"It's the same for me," Cozart stated, "but you are the only one I would do this with." He added a reassuring smile.

Giotto felt inexplicably happy at the response he got, and fell asleep immediately, his hand on top of the other's hand.

Sometimes it was scary how Cozart became even more important to him day by day, it seemed so surreal that he was finally with the person he waited so long for.

Their first fight was unexpected- at least on Giotto's behalf. Half a year after they became lovers, Giotto confessed to Cozart that he had told G about their relationship. He would have never guessed Cozart's reaction. Cozart became furious, like Giotto had never seen him before.

_"You know how this will tarnish my family's reputation! My father has problems because of the bad weather at sea already!" _

_Giotto grew uneasy himself. "You know that G would never tell anybody," he tried to reason. _

_"You never ask me before you do something. It's always about you. Why can't you think of my situation?" Cozart replied dryly, ending with a hint of exasperation. _

_"You know I would never do anything to tarnish your reputation- and G is trustworthy," Giotto responded honestly. "I didn't think it would bother you that much." _

_After Giotto said his last sentence with such honesty, Cozart turned around to leave. _

_"So that's it? You just leave without settling this matter?" Giotto was genuinely surprised. Somehow Cozart was acting exceedingly strange because he was neither one to hold grudges, nor did he walk away from an argument without reaching a compromise at least. _

_Cozart had an indefinable look on his face before he left. _  
><em>Giotto rushed to the window to see him walking down the street. He bit his lip, and contemplated what Cozart had said.<em>

_Now that he thought further about it, it was true that he was very headstrong. Cozart's wishes had really been fading in the background because he never disagreed with him. Giotto decided that he would need to pay more attention to the wishes of his lover, however subtle the display may be. _

_But when he thought that Cozart had implied that G was untrustworthy, he felt his cheeks hot with anger. G would never betray Giotto's trust. _

_What if Cozart decided that he no longer wanted Giotto after this? Or worse, had he found someone else that he was so worried the state of their relation might be known to the public? _  
><em>What would happen if Cozart no longer wanted him as a lover, or even in his life? <em>  
><em>Giotto took a deep breath to calm down. There was no use in making silly assumptions. <em>

_The day after the fight between them, Cozart left. That was what his grandmother told Giotto when he went to her house to apologize for his behavior. _

_Giotto was worried that Cozart was not going to return, but then he reprimanded himself. It would be exaggerated to just end their relationship over such a little argument… Or maybe it wasn't little for Cozart. _

_Giotto continued to ponder how to go about the situation while strolling about the market, until he saw Cozart, walking around. He almost ran over to him, until he saw the woman at his side. She had curly brown hair, and wore an expensive dress, woven of fine fabric. _  
><em>He immediately felt a little jealous, as the woman seemed to be touching Cozart a lot causally with her glove-clad hands, and he was sure that it was not only his overactive imagination. <em>

_He nonchalantly made his way over to them. _

_"Hey Cozart." He greeted, and nodded at him. _

_The woman narrowed her eyes a bit when she was utterly ignored by Giotto. _

_"And who would this nice lady be?" Giotto added as a mere afterthought, trying to put on a sweet smile which may or may not actually resembled one. Normally he was good with smiling when it was necessary, but with Cozart it was always a bit different. He also couldn't stand the woman from the first moment he laid eyes on her. _

_"Maria, can you wait for me at grandmother's house? I need to talk to my friend." He said calmly, and first she looked as if she was about to argue, but shut her mouth when she saw Cozart's look, and understood that Cozart was serious. _

_She turned around and left without saying goodbye to either of them. _

_"Can we talk at yours?" Cozart asked. _

_Giotto nodded, and they made their way silently to Giotto's apartment. Giotto was kicking stones on the ground with his hands in his pocket, but he allowed himself to act that way because his conspicuous blonde hair was hidden underneath a brown hat and clothes of cheaper fabric disguised his true identity. _

_He didn't like it when the vendors wanted to give him their food for free when they recognized him because he thought that everyone should work equally for it. _

_When they went inside the apartment, Giotto grabbed Cozart by his shirt, and kissed him roughly. Cozart kissed back. Giotto unbuttoned Cozart's shirt, but when his hand sneaked inside his trousers, Cozart's hand stopped him. _

_"No Giotto, we need to clarify this between us. And please stop your jealousy," He said earnestly. _

_"I'm not jealous," Giotto said distractedly because he was still stroking the expanse of Cozart's smooth chest accessible to his hand. With his hair disheveled due to Giotto's aid, he looked positively edible. _

_"Did you think I didn't see how you were looking at Maria?" Cozart rolled his eyes. _

_"So her name is Maria huh…" Giotto mumbled. _

_"She is my cousin if you must know." _

_Giotto wasn't really convinced that the Maria girl had no further intentions despite their degree of relation, but he just shut up that moment because he was thinking about what Cozart had said during their argument. It was true that he sometimes didn't pay enough attention to Cozart's needs, so he decided to redeem himself and become a better partner for Cozart. _

_"Clarify things? What do you mean? Aren't you still with this handsome man, the boss of the Vongola family?" Giotto leered at him. _

_Cozart rolled his eyes again, "Sometimes your ego is just too huge, Giotto." _

_Giotto winked. _

_Although he anticipated an improvement in their relationship that was not what happened.A week after they made up, he found Cozart sitting in the Vongola Headquarters, seemingly waiting for him. _

_His face was visibly pale, and he looked as if he was about to vomit on the letter he was reading. When he saw Giotto approaching, he swiftly crumpled the letter, and pushed it into the pocket of his trousers. _

_Giotto knew that Cozart left something undisclosed because he would sometimes have that distant look in his eyes. Every time Giotto asked though, his lover said that there was nothing wrong, followed by a reassuring smile. _

_Cozart had decided to stay for two weeks longer. He told his father that he wanted to spend some time with his grandmother. Although he had to spend much time studying also because that was expected of him by his father, he found time for Giotto every day. _

_Still, Giotto sensed that there was something wrong. Sometimes Cozart would react awkwardly when Giotto tried to kiss him. It seemed as if there was always a tension preventing Cozart to relax in Giotto's presence. _

_During the time Cozart stayed, Giotto felt them drifting further apart. He found less time for Giotto, and he spent more time with his cousin. He told Giotto that his father said so, but Giotto thought that his lover was avoiding him. _  
><em>The day before his departure, the two slumped exhausted on the bed, Cozart because he had endured a seemingly endless shopping tour of his cousin, and Giotto because he had to work on too much paperwork that day. <em>

_They were too tired to do anything else, and fell asleep. _

_When they woke up in the morning together, their backs faced each other. _

_"Cozart, when will you be leaving? I want to accompany you to your grandmother's house," he smiled warmly at Cozart. _

_Although he was sad that his lover was leaving, he assumed that he didn't have to wait too long to see him again. Besides, he wanted to spend as much time as possible with Cozart. _

_Then he sensed that something was wrong. Cozart was in the process of dressing himself, and hadn't answered Giotto's question. When he was done, he turned around, and looked at Giotto solemnly. _

_"Giotto, it's over between us." _

_There was no emotion evident in the way he said the words. Giotto gaped at him, and he could bet that his mouth was actually open. A moment later he fully processed the meaning of Cozart's words, and got up quickly to grab Cozart's shirt. _

_But the other man easily evaded his antics, and took a step back. He looked at the ground; his face hidden by his bangs. _

_"I'm sorry", he whispered in a hoarse voice, and then he left. _

_Giotto was still sitting on his bed. _

_"That's right Cozart- just take it all with you… Take everything that we had away, you selfish bastard…" He whispered. His hands were clutching his sheets as if holding onto a lifeline, rendering his knuckles a ghostly white. _

_Giotto knew that Cozart was serious this time. _

_After that day, he didn't hear anything from Cozart in two years. His friends didn't tell him anything about his old best friend because they wanted to avoid his temper which flared up every time Cozart was mentioned. _

_Perhaps they just knew nothing at all. _

_However, G always sent him a concerned look when he looked at the photo of Cozart and him on his desk. He never had it in him to remove it, but it was dusty because it remained untouched since Cozart had left. On the only picture that he had kept, the both of them looked happy; Giotto with a small smile and Cozart with a grin, while holding a bag of money in his hand. Giotto was looking at Cozart from the corner of his eyes. _

_And although G always immediately tried to conceal his concern because he knew that his boss did not appreciate it, Giotto still noticed. He never said anything about it. _

_Day after day he had tried to analyze the unfortunate night. However, he always had the feeling that he missed something. Something he said or did must have set Cozart off. He couldn't figure out what it was. _

_Giotto sighed. The sun was already setting, and it gave the room an orange hue. He was still sitting hunched over his paperwork, when G burst into the door. _

_"Boss, I have news from Cozart Simon!" he declared, and Giotto tried to stay calm. _

_"I see," He said in what he hoped to be a nonchalant voice; he hoped to keep the interest from his voice. For two years he had acted as if his former best friend had died, and no one had questioned him. _

_"Today is his wedding." _

_Giotto was shocked. That he was still so sad about Cozart, while the other had gotten himself a wife… _

_"I see. Thank you." He gritted out, and G knew that that was his cue to leave. He nodded, and threw one last glance at his boss. _

_The clock on his desk was ticking away, completely unfazed by the inner turmoil of its owner. Giotto was so agitated by the noise that he threw it against the wall. _

_The utter silence made him think clearly. He would pay Cozart a visit. He spent the whole night pondering over his relationship, his friendship, and everything else he had had with Cozart. Somehow he still found it unreal that he suffered greatly over their liaison while Cozart got married; found himself a wife with whom he would settle down. Cozart never struck him as a person who wanted to settle down so early. _

_He arrived at Cozart's house in the evening. Through G he was also provided with the new address of Cozart. His house was not small, but it looked inviting rather than intimidating. His garden was full of flowers. That was probably his wife's doing, Giotto thought bitterly. _

_He knocked on the door, and waited for a moment. Then the door was opening. Giotto saw Cozart, and he was assaulted once again by all the feelings he thought he had already buried. He felt nauseous, and supported himself on the doorframe, one hand on his forehead. _

_Then he saw Cozart's face. He looked pained, and perhaps he was contemplating how he should greet Giotto, and whether he should invite him inside. _

_That decision was taken from him. _

_"Cozart, who is it?" Giotto heard a smooth voice, and he cringed. That had to be his wife. When she stood beside Cozart, he could see her properly. She was taller than Cozart, and had almost black hair which was tied back in a ponytail. It was quite unlike the usual hairstyle women had in their time. She had a stern look on her face. _

_Giotto couldn't believe that Cozart deemed her better than him. _

_"Oh, you must be a friend. Why don't you come in?" She then said in understanding, when she lay eyes on Giotto, and motioned for him to get inside. He brushed past Cozart who still stood there. _

_She let him sit down at the table in the kitchen, and prepared tea for them. Then Cozart finally walked into the room, and sat down. He put his hands on the table and it looked vaguely like he was getting ready for a prayer. He didn't look at Giotto. _

_"Congratulations. I heard that you got married last week." Giotto smiled. Although he knew that it looked clearly insincere, he didn't care. Neither Cozart nor his wife answered. Whether it was because they got married earlier, or heard the tone of his voice, Giotto wasn't sure. _

_Then Cozart's wife served them tea. She smiled at them, and excused herself. She said that she would spend the evening at her friend's house. _

_Cozart just nodded absentmindedly, and Giotto tried to force a smile on his face. She didn't seem to notice that he didn't mean it, and nodded at him. When he heard the door shut, he stood up. _

_Cozart also stood up, and they were looking at each other like two predators fighting for a prey. Suddenly Giotto grabbed Cozart by the hair and kissed him, and they kissed each other across the table. _

_Giotto didn't remember how, but they somehow ended up in a bedroom. They got rid of each other's clothes, a few buttons popping, but they didn't care. The time they had spent apart had been too long. _

_When Giotto woke up the next morning, he couldn't recognize where he was. He looked around confused, until he laid eyes on the red-haired figure sleeping soundly next to him. He smiled softly, and caressed the other's hair gently. He really missed the feeling of Cozart's hair between his hands, and it had been a very long time. _

_Slowly, Cozart stirred. He opened his eyes, and looked at Giotto. First he smiled contently, but then he seemed to realize the situation. He sat up quickly, shaking off Giotto's hand. _

_"Giotto- You can't stay! My wife…" He said frantically. _

_"You don't seem to be so intimate." Giotto retorted in a slightly sarcastic way, but with a hint of triumph in his voice. _

_Then he sighed. _

_"I understand Cozart. It's okay. I will just find someone else. I wish nothing but the best for you and your wife. I guess sometimes the love lasts, and sometimes it doesn't. I was unlucky. But you will always be my friend. Don't forget me." With those words, he got himself dressed. _

_Cozart looked at him, as if he wanted to say something. His eyebrows were furrowed, and maybe it was important, but Giotto left. He couldn't stay in the presence of his beloved who was betrothed to another anymore. _

_With a lump in his throat he made his way through the garden. By chance he laid eyes on a small beet of roses hidden behind a tree, looking desolate from the lack of sunlight. Giotto thought they greatly resembled his situation. He was the rose, growing on nourishing earth but deemed to wither eventually, overshadowed by the tree which blocked the sunlight. Was the tree Cozart's wife? Or the whole society who was against their relationship? _

_Giotto still remembered the passionate nights the two spent with each other on the bed he was sleeping now. He traced the empty spot beside him with his left hand because he always slept on the right side. The left was reserved for Cozart, and it would always be. Well, until he got himself a new bed. _

_But after his visit, he finally felt a sense of closure. He no longer bore any grudge towards Cozart, and although the other man would always have a piece of his heart, he was okay. He wished his friend well with his new wife. _

_Anyway it would be him missing out, with Giotto experiencing all the new adventures the bigger the Vongola got, and the more time he spent with his friends, now that he was no longer gloomy because of Cozart. It was what he tried to tell himself. _

_Nonetheless, he kept contact with Cozart. They never saw each other anymore, but Giotto sent him letters, many letters which not all received a response. _

_Giotto kept on writing. _

_He was okay as long as he knew that his beloved was somewhere out there in the world, happy, and maybe with a fat child or two. _

_His hand traced the place Cozart used to sleep in. He closed his eyes, and it was almost as if he could feel the subtle touch of Cozart on his cheek. With a content smile on his face, he fell asleep. _

_End ~_  
><em>Next will be the story from Cozart's perspective<em>


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry that it took so goddamned long, I was not really in the mood to write anything. Btw, I hate it when somebody favorites or alerts but doesn't write a review! Just saying. Now, I don't have a beta reader and I was too lazy to read it again. Another warning: English is not my first language… Nor my second :D hahaha ~ Now have fun. Hope there aren't too many mistakes, I was too lazy to read it again.

When Giotto left, Cozart didn't know what to think. In fact he didn't think at all.

To any observer he would have looked like the absolute picture of misery. He lay amidst the crumpled sheets, and the evidence of the earlier activities that took place on his bed was quite obvious.

He buried his face in his hand. When Giotto left this time, he knew that it was forever. His mouth opened as if to say something, but when his brain came up with nothing, it was too late anyway. Giotto had left.

His old lover had been on his mind every day, thinking of his face, thinking of his laugh. Later on he came to know that his father had someone investigate the relationship between him and Giotto because he deemed it suspicious. When his father sent him a letter in which he revealed his knowledge of the forbidden relationship between his son and another man, he almost threw up on that letter right then and there. His father told him that he had looked for a nice wife he could settle down with, a German woman named Adelheid.

Despite the fact that he had never really found himself attracted to anyone but Giotto, he bristled at the fact that his father found him a fiancée; a foreigner no less.

Cozart didn't know how he would confess this matter to Giotto, not when he reacted so strongly to his cousin Maria.

When he was surprised by Giotto who had entered the room in the Vongola's Headquarters in which he was waiting, he hastily crumpled the letter and put it into his pocket. He pushed the problem to the depths of his mind, and fully concentrated on Giotto.

Cozart stayed for two weeks afterwards, but even when as he saw Giotto every day, he couldn't push the thought from his mind. He spent more and more time with Maria; he tried to get himself used to the idea of living without Giotto.

And on his last day, just when he wanted to tell Giotto the truth, his lover had to make the decision even harder, by offering to escort him to his grandmother's house.

Cozart stalled a bit, he dressed himself, and then he faced Giotto. It was the moment in which he had to tell the truth.

"It's over." He said, and his knees were terribly weak. When he saw Giotto's crestfallen face; his anger, he fled.

After that day, he never saw Giotto again. He never contacted him, and if the other decided to send him any letters, he made sure to tell his servants to throw them away. It was hard enough as it was.

And that was how their story went, they fell in love, they were happy, but it didn't last.

Cozart should have spared Giotto the agony; he should have been rational about the whole affair from the beginning, but ever since he got to know him, it was his greatest wish to lie down next to him at the end of the day, and wake up next to him in the morning. Giotto had something so extraordinary about him; the way his wheat-colored hair swayed in the subtle morning breeze that came through the opened window…

In the following two years, he did a lot to distract himself. He helped his father handle his business, he met his fiancée, and he took her out. After he got to know him, he had to admit that she was a very beautiful woman. However, he was a bit put off by the fact that she was taller than him. Nonetheless she was able to hold an interesting conversation with him concerning books, unlike Giotto who seemed to force himself every time that topic came up. His attention span was too short to deal with literature.

Well, Giotto was a free spirit, impossible to tame, but interesting and full of wonder. Adelheid was a composed person, she didn't speak without thinking, she didn't act without thinking, and she thought a lot. They were like polar opposites.

The days went by quietly, and Cozart enjoyed the peace. His wedding day was not out of the ordinary for him, he got up in the morning and in the evening he was a married man.

When it was time for them to consummate their marriage, both were awkward around each other, but once the feeling evaporated, he discovered the intimate parts of Adelheid, and found that he liked her quite much.

It was a normal day, when someone knocked on their door. Adelheid was in the saloon, knitting a scarf, and Cozart read a book.

Adelheid seemed as if she wanted to get up, but Cozart beat her to it, and gave her a small smile. He didn't believe in the traditional role of the woman.

When he opened the door, his blood ran cold. He didn't know how to react until Adelheid came, and said something. She broke the tense silence between the old lovers, and said, "Oh you must be a friend of Cozart. Why don't you come in?"

She ushered him inside, and asked him whether he would like tea. If she noticed the obvious tension between the both men, she didn't let it show at all.

"Adel, didn't you want to go to Maria's today?" When he looked at Giotto he knew that he could explode at any given time.

"Oh my, I forgot the time. I will go now." She gave Cozart a small smile and nodded into Giotto's direction. Giotto nodded stiffly back.

When Cozart heard the front door slam shut, the uncomfortable atmosphere evaporated.

"Giotto, what brings you to my humble house?"

Everything was a blur and he only remembered that they somehow ended up on his bed. The bed he shared with his wife.

But there was a rush of blood to his face when he remembered their exhilarating night spent together. He never felt anything so intense. The breath on his face, the smell of Giotto's skin, their drawn out moans, and through it all he felt Giotto's sadness that poured out of him with every touch. It was like an avalanche of sentiments crashing down on him, burying him under a thick blanket of nothingness.

After Giotto left, he changed the blankets, and tried to go on as always. As the days went by, his relationship to Adelheid got worse. Everytime they slept in the bed, his thoughts were manifested by the sin he committed, and sometime after that he got his own room.

He spent his days brooding; he didn't meet anyone, not his father, his mother or Maria. Adelheid and he were like strangers once again.

However, all of that didn't seem to affect Giotto. He wrote him letters every time something happened in the Vongola, even little things like Daemon and Elena's relationship. He read the letters thoroughly, relishing in the fact that Giotto still deemed him important enough to contact him.

Despite this, he became a shadow of his former self. His face began to look haughty, and his eyes were lifeless. Adelheid came to watch the development with worry, so she decided it was time to break the news. She knocked softly on the door to Cozart's study.

"Cozart, can I come in?" Her normally strict expression was replaced by worry marring her fine features. When she didn't hear any answer, she decided to enter regardless. Books were scattered on the ground, and amidst it all there was Cozart, his face illuminated by a few candles, and the curtains were drawn. The room gave off an ominous feeling, and if she was a lesser woman, she would have turned around and fled.

She made her way to the wooden chair in which Cozart sat, his head rested on his hands.

"Cozart, I'm pregnant."

Cozart looked at her incredulously, but he didn't say anything. There was nothing he could come up with.

"I know that you have changed since your friend came over to visit. I demand that you go to his residence to abolish this conflict between you. I want my child to grow up in a stable environment."

She said everything with a tone that suggested finality, but when she saw Cozart's hurt expression, she recoiled a little. Nonetheless, she knew it was up to her to be strong. And she knew Cozart would heed to her request. There was nothing he had to attend to anyway. He didn't meet anyone, and he didn't do anything.

So Cozart made his way to the Vongola Headquarters a week later. He expressed his reluctance to leave Adelheid behind, but she appeased him by saying that she would go to his mother's house. Bitter anticipation spread in his stomach, and he thought that he might be sick. He feared a confrontation with G, Giotto's right hand man who was also fiercely protective of his boss.

Frankly, he didn't know what to say to Giotto at all. He had announced his visit one week earlier, and he had gotten a letter containing a single sentence. "I look forward to it" seemed to be everything Giotto had to say to this matter.

When his carriage stopped, he was greeted by a servant and shown to a room. The man apologized on his boss' behalf, as he seemed to be busy with a meeting. When the night fell, Giotto finally attended to his guest. When Cozart opened the door, Giotto pushed him onto the bed, kicking the door shut with his foot. He kissed Cozart fiercely, and with an intensity that melted Cozart's resolve once again.

Giotto's hands were all over him, and he started to perspire due to the heat their bodies emitted. He desperately wanted to get off his shirt, so he did, and Giotto's followed suit. Giotto's hands were searing hot on his skin and he drowned in the sensation. It seemed every time Giotto was involved, Cozart's resolve flew out of the window.

Cozart switched their positions, so that Giotto lay on his back on the bed. He traced his fingers along his abdomen, pinching his nipples slightly which earned him a groan by Giotto. Soon they were naked, but he could still appreciate Giotto's divine features due to the pale moonlight shining through the window. There was a strange sparkle in his eyes, but Cozart couldn't pinpoint it.

The next morning, Cozart woke earlier than Giotto. He raked his gaze over the naked body presented to him, and could feel another stirring in his loins.

"I can't let you go… yet." He muttered softly, completely unaware that he had said it out loud. He had an awful sinking feeling in his stomach once again, so he settled back, and cuddled closer to Giotto. A few minutes afterwards he let sleep lull him back into dreaming once again.

When Cozart awoke once again, he blinked a few times, trying to shake himself out of sleep. Giotto was nowhere to be seen, however, that was expected because he wasn't on vacations like Cozart, and still had his duties to attend to.

Since Cozart had a week left until he went home, so he decided to go out a bit. He walked the same roads he did when he was younger, with Giotto. He strayed around a bit, bought an apple here, some clothes there, and relished in the solitude. He hadn't taken the time to explore his favorite city in a long time. He loved so much about it, and he scolded himself for forgetting the opaque air in the morning, the rays of sun in the afternoon, the buzzing nightlife, and everything else.

He also took the time to visit the residence of his deceased grandmother. He always had the key with him, as she was his favorite relative, and he spent a grand part of his childhood in her vast mansion. He remembered the smell of delicious cookies that the maid had baked every time he stayed over, and the warm smile of his grandmother.

It was late afternoon when he returned to the Vongola, Giotto was sitting on his bed, reading a book that Cozart had just bought the other day. Cozart smiled because Giotto's face was scrunched up in concentration. "Giotto", he called out, and chuckled at the startled way Giotto looked at him.

"Oh, it's you Cozart. Hey, I waited for you." Cozart's breath hitched at the way Giotto looked at him. His smile was so warm, his eyes so expressive, unlike Adelheid who always gave off an aloof feeling. He was so overcome by his feelings, that he put his hands on both sides of Giotto's face, and kissed him deeply.

The days went on by, and Giotto always came to Cozart's room in the evening. Then they spent the night together. Their last night together was marred by the knowledge that Cozart had to leave the next day. With desperation Giotto clutched onto Cozart, and his eyes seemed moist. But outside of the room, they acted just like they always did. Good friends who had fun with each other.

Giotto took the time to bring Cozart to his carriage, and before he shut the door, he reduced the distance between them, until his mouth was next to Cozart's ear.

"I love you", he said softly, and gave Cozart a warm smile. When Cozart opened his mouth to say something, Giotto shushed him. "It's alright; you don't have to say anything."

"No I-", he started, but was cut off by G who approached Giotto about some important matter. Inwardly Cozart fought the urge to strangle G. He was a peaceful and upbeat person by nature, but in that particular moment, just as he was about to explain himself, he had to get interrupted. Luck didn't seem to be on his side when it came to his relationship with Giotto.

Seeing as Giotto's attention was diverted, he shut the door, and so the driver commenced to make his way back to the city in which Cozart resided. He didn't see Giotto's sad gaze following his carriage, nor did he hear G. "I wish you would just forget about him. You deserve someone much better."

But Giotto would have none of it. "G, there is no one but him in my heart. And if one week each year is everything that I can have, then so be it."

G was shocked by the exclamation because normally Giotto was a very proud person, and he had a lot of respect for his boss. To see Giotto belittle himself like that was not something G wanted to experience. He felt angry at Giotto's behalf; he felt angry because Cozart had left Giotto behind to get himself a woman, and just when he thought that Giotto would finally get over it, he came strutting back into his life once again. It was a vicious circle.

When Cozart arrived at home, Adelheid was nowhere in sight. He went to bed, and curled himself up in the blankets. Really now, how was he supposed to go back to his old life after getting fabulously laid last week? But he arranged himself with everything.

The months went by, and Adelheid gave birth to a beautiful baby boy that looked almost like an exact replica of Cozart himself. Cozart loved him with all his heart, and soon he pushed Giotto back in his mind. Every night he didn't get decent rest because the baby loved to wake them at night due to his screaming, but Adeheid and Cozart's relationship grew stronger. They were like best friends.

A few months after the birth of his baby, he got another letter from Giotto. It contained a seemingly unimportant request of visiting him once again. Cozart bit his fingernails, contemplating what he should do.

After an internal struggle, he decided to ask Adelheid whether she would manage without him for one week. She gave her consent, secretly happy that Cozart finally associated with his friends again. Besides, she didn't want to keep him from his beloved village that long. So Cozart once again made his way to Giotto.

When Giotto and he had dinner, Cozart got quite a little tipsy with all the wine he had already ingested. He told Giotto about his little boy, and how proud he was to be a father. And during the whole conversation, he didn't notice how tense Giotto was; how he kept biting his lip, almost drawing blood.

"That's wonderful Cozart." In his drunken stupor he didn't notice the evident bitterness that laced Giotto's tone. Abruptly he stood up, "If you'll excuse me. I feel quite tired."

Cozart looked after Giotto, not quite grasping what had just transpired between them. Deciding that he wouldn't be able to figure it out while being drunk, he made his way to his chambers, and fell asleep almost in the instant that he hit the covers.

The next morning, he felt a splitting headache. And without warning, every detail that he could remember from yesterday's conversation came crashing down on him. He sat up immediately; shocked that he could be so inconsiderate. He must have hurt Giotto a lot. He got himself dressed, and made his way to G's quarters because wasn't in his room.

G was not impressed to say the least, when he saw it was none other than Cozart knocking on his door.

"What do you want", he ground out, and it didn't even sound like a question.

Cozart flinched, but quickly regained his composure. "I need to talk to Giotto. Can you tell me where he is?"

G's facial expression turned sour. "Why should I tell you; So that you can hurt him again?"

Cozart flinched, when G's dislike of him became so clear for the first time. They never got along because Cozart always felt that G never held him in high regard. There was always animosity emitting from him towards Cozart, but he never came to know why or where it stemmed from.

"I just want to apologize." His words were firm, and he hoped that G could grasp the conviction behind those words.

"I don't think so. You have done enough 'apologizing'. I'd rather you left once and for all."

"It's alright. After this I will leave his life forever."

G seemed appeased at last, and nodded into the direction of the garden. Then he shut his door in Cozart's face without another word.

Giotto relished in the cool comfort the tree's shade provided him, while sitting on a bench. His eyes were closed, and there was a serene expression on his face. Cozart breathed a sigh of relief, and approached Giotto slowly. When Cozart stood before him, he opened his eyes. At first he looked surprised, but then his gaze softened, and he patted the space next to him to signal Cozart to sit down.

"I wanted to apologize; it was terrible of me to say what I did yesterday." Cozart bit his lip anxiously, but Giotto just shook his head slightly, and offered a sad smile.

"No need to apologize. I'm happy that you have a family. I wish you the best with them." Then he sighed, and it probably pained him to say the words he spoke in the next instant. "I no longer have a place in your heart, and in your life." He traced Cozart's thigh idly with his index finger. "But I want you to know that I will always love you, no matter what happens."

Cozart felt the bile rise in his throat, and for the blink of an eye he was envious that Giotto was able to express his feelings so freely, while he himself felt so constricted.

"I also think it's for the best if we clarify that we will remain friends from now on." And in his subconscious he replayed his conversation with G. He had promised after all. "I really don't want to let you go, but I know in this time, in these circumstances, there is no place for a love like ours."

Cozart held Giotto tightly, who gripped the front of his shirt tightly. Giotto's head was hidden from sight in the crook of Cozart's neck. Cozart wanted to be even closer, so he rested his chin on the mob of golden hair. He inhaled deeply, and was overwhelmed by Giotto's unique scent that he would sense for the last time in his life. They both knew it.

As if to give them privacy, all birds had disappeared, and there was an eerie silence.

"Maybe we can be happy in the future. You know, in those lands far away, they say there is a thing called reincarnation. You get reborn again, and again." Cozart supposed that his observation should give him hope, but Giotto's shaking voice betrayed any comfort that the two of them could gain from that sentence. However, in Cozart's heart there had been sparked a hope by those words. Perhaps in the future they could truly be together, without the secrets and betrayal. He let go of Giotto, and wiped away the single tear escaping from his eye. Then he turned around and left.

Somehow this just screams for a TsunaxEnma story… What do you guys think? Give me a prompt!


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